Government of Jamaica

News Releases

News Releases

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (right) receives a welcome hug, one of the many he received on his tour of Royalton Negril on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Management and staff were out in their numbers to greet the Minister at the restart of operations following a multi-million-dollar restoration in the wake of last year’s hurricane.

Featured News Releases

Workers Joyful as Royalton Negril Reopens Amid Wider Tourism Recovery

NEGRIL, Jamaica; Thursday, August 27, 2026: Pulsating music, dance and colourful dresses marked the reopening of the Royalton Negril hotel and the return of nearly 1,000 workers to their jobs. The hotel reopened at 50 percent occupancy, which is expected to rise to 80 percent over the US Thanksgiving period, and is already sold out for Jamaica’s Heroes Weekend and Christmas. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, was excited as he moved among staff members and was greeted with gleeful smiles as he toured the property to see firsthand its multi-million-dollar recovery from the impact of hurricane Melissa. “When I walked in, I saw that 960 workers were back on the job, and that by Thanksgiving, I'm told, the other 320 will be back, and we will have a full complement of 1,200 workers employed. That means families are now going to be more secure. It's coming back at the right time with back to school,” Minister Bartlett said.
Continue Reading

All News Releases

Tourism Linkages Hub to be Established within Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment

Kingston, Jamaica: December 12, 2012 – Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill has announced that a Hub is to be formed within his Ministry to drive the process of establishing linkages between the tourism and other industries forward. Explaining further he said, “this Hub would be what would gather data and disseminate information, and would work with input and representation from the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA) and JAMPRO”.
Continue Reading

Tourism and Entertainment Ministry Observes Tourism Awareness Week, Dec. 9-15

Kingston, Jamaica: December 7, 2012 – As Jamaica gears up for the start of the upcoming winter tourist season on December 15, the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment and its agencies will be seeking to highlight the contribution of the sector and the role it plays in the economic development of the country, during Tourism Awareness Week (TAW), which will be observed from December 9 – 15.
Continue Reading

Suspension of Private Jet-Ski Operations to be Lifted July 18

Kingston, Jamaica: July 17, 2014 – Effective Friday July 18, 2014 the operation of private Personal Water Crafts (PWCs) will be re-opened across the island for licensed PWC users. This after an island-wide ban was imposed in February to allow for the regularization of the commercial operations; and for steps to be taken by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) to register all PWCs or jet-skis in the island.
Continue Reading

Jamrock Summer to Harness Jamaica’s Entertainment and Culture to Drive Arrivals

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA, Thursday, July 17, 2014: The variety and vibrancy of Jamaica’s cultural expressions are being packaged to promote the destination to worldwide tourism markets as the land of not merely sun, sea, and sand but excellent entertainment. The innovative summer entertainment programme branded as “Jamrock Summer – 90 Days, 90 Ways” was launched at the picturesque Sandals Royal Caribbean Island in Montego Bay yesterday (July 16) by the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, and endorsed by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA).
Continue Reading

TEF Finances $248 million Lighting Project for MoBay’s Elegant Corridor

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: Friday, July 20, 2014: Montego Bay’s Elegant Corridor is slated to be brightly lit at nights before the middle of next year, following the signing of a contract for a $248 million lighting project financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).
Continue Reading

DNA Connects CNN Anchor to Cambridge, Jamaica

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, July 23, 2014: A DNA test for her job as CNN anchor has led Michaela Pereira of Canada to Cambridge in St. James, Jamaica to unearth her genealogical roots. “I was adopted as an infant in Canada and I always knew that one part of my heritage came from Jamaica,” she related. But she was unsure of how the connection came about. “I didn’t know if one of my parents was Canadian-Jamaica or Jamaican-Jamaica,” she said.
Continue Reading